Periodic circuit maker



June 30, w A GAMMACK PERIODICI CIRCUIT MAKER Filed July ll, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l H T70 @NEX June 30, 1931- v w. A. GAMMACK ETAL 1,812,090 PERIODIC CIRCUIT MAKER Filed July ll 192'? 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 'lmmmml f7 T roxy/Ex June 30, 1931. w. A. sAMMAcK E'rAr. 1,812,090

PERIODIC CIRCUIT MAKER Filed July 11, 1927 s sheets-sheet :s

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i Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WIIII'LIAllLI` A. GAMMACK AND DONALD G.' KNOX, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, AS-

SIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTTO JGRDON & TAYLOR, INC. OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA PERIODIC CIRCUIT MAKER Original application filed July 5, 1928, Serial No. 290,410. Divided and this application led July 11,

Our invention relates to a periodic circuit maker for use in connection with oil well pumping apparatus, as is fully covered in our copending application Serial Number 290,410, filed July 5, 1928. This application is a division of our application above referred to.

It is an object of our invention to provide a periodic circuit maker so constructed that the duration of time during which any one of the contacts is energized may be varied without varying or changing the duration of time during which the other contacts are energized.

It is a further object of our invention to arrange the driving meansso that the distributor is rotated at different peripheral velocities during diiferent portions of the distributing cycle.

vIt is a further object of our invention to so arrange the distributor driving means that during diiferent predetermined portions of the distributing cycle the driving means rotate the distributor at different predetermined peripheral velocities.

It is a further object of our invention to provide means in a periodic circuit maker for simultaneously varying the speed of the driving means with each selected portion of the distributing cycle.

Other objects and advantages, uses and characteristics of our invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed discussion and description of our invention and one preferred -form thereof. In describing our invention, reference will be had to the attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sideI elevational view of the intermittent switch of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the intermittent switch.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

FiO. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the distributor ofthe invention taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Y

Fig. 5 is a partially sectioned view showing the governor of the intermittent switch.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Serial No. 204,399.

Fig. 7 diagrammatically shows the means of varying the speed of the intermittent switch.

Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive show the intermittentswitch 15 of the invention. This switch comprises a motor 16 which is supported on feet 17 and which has a framework 19 supporting a top plate 20. Vertically pivoted in the top plate 20 and supported at its lower end by a jewel bearing 22 is a vertical shaft 24 of the motor 16 which carries near its central portion a disc 25 secured thereto by a set screw 26. Between the disc 25 and the top plate 2O is a pair of laminated cores 27 carrying windings 28. Directly below each of the laminated cores 27 is a laminated core 30 carrying a winding 31. The windings 28 and 31 are suitably connected to a sourceof alternating current, and set up eddy currents in the disc 25, which is supported between the cores 27 and 31, thus causing it to rotate about its vertical axis. This is a well known type of induction-disc-motor such as is found in certain types of watt-hour meters and in certain electrically driven phonographs. The rate of rotation of the rotor of the 'motor is controlled by a governor which will now be described.

Mounted on` the shaft 24 below the disc 25 is a helical gear 35 which meshes with a worm 36 cut in horizontal shaft 38 pivotally snpported by bearings 39 and 40, as best shown in 5. Adapted to slide on the horizontal shaft 38 is a sleeve 42 which has a friction plate 43 and a hub 44 at its left end. A similar hub 46 is formed integral with the right end of the horizontal shaft 38. Connecting Ihe hubs 44 and 46 are flat springs 48, three in number, each supporting at its central point a weight 50. The weights 50 fly outward as the speed of the horizontal shaft 38 is in creased, andthus pull the friction plate 43 to the right; i

Adapt-ed to frictionally engage the friction plate 43 on its right-hand face, as shown in Fig. 5, is a brak-e 54 mounted on an arm 56 which arm is pivotally supported in the frame 19 by a bolt 58. As' the brake 54 is moved to the right, pivoting about the bolt 58, the tendency of the disc 25 is to rotate aster, its load being?)` partially removed, thus allowine` the weights to nieve outward until they draw the 'friction plate 43 into en gageinent with the brake 511, at which time the speed ol the disc will be held constant.

The upper en d of the Vertical :shaft 21 carries a worin 00 which engages a worin gear ($1 mounted on a horizontal shaft 02 which rotatee` a distance above the top plate 20 in brackets (S-.l and as inost clearly Shown in Fie'. il. An annular groove G0 is cut in the top plate 20 to allow clearance for the worin cjezir 0l to rotate, this rotation being transicr ed to the horizontal shaft 02 by means of a set Screw 0S. .lhe lett end of the horizontal shalt 02 carries a worin 70 which is ineshed with a helical pinion 72 carried on a counter turned portion 75l ot a vertical shalt 74l, ae shown in Fig. 4l.

This vertical shaft 71!A passes centrally through a distribuer i5 ot the invention. ',lfhe distributor 75 is secured to the top plate Q0 by screws 70 passing; through a housing; 77 inade olf suitable insulating` material. Screwed into 'the bottoni o1" the houeiue` 77 and sin-rounding the vertical shaft 74C is a bearing' 79 provided with a stelling: box 80. The stalling box 80 forms a liquid-tight seal between the housing 77 and the Vertical shatt- 74.

Equally spaced around the shaft 7-fl. are downward projecting' sleeves 82 each holding` a contact sleeve 83 which in turn iS engaeeifl by, and electricallyY connected with, a plug Sil. Rach plug` S11 is connected by a wire through a cable 85 with one ot a` series of Six binding posts 97 which are inounted in a piece of insulatin y; material 88 Yforming' a part of the top plate 20, as shown bestin Figs. 1 and 2. The counter-turned portion 73 of the Vertical shaft 7l extends through a cup portion 90 ot the housing' 77, and carries a rotor 91 which has an insulatingsleeve 02, as shown in Fig'. 1. Surrounding the insulating` sleeve 92 is a metallic sleeve 98 which carries a rotorconiact 05. This rotor-contact 95 rotates with the shaft 711, and in so rotating cornes con:iecutively into contact with a series oil six' stationaiy contact arins 07, each ot which is nnuinted on the upper end of one of the oontact sleeves S3.

The rotor-contact 05 remains in contactvith each of the Contact arnie 07 `tor one-sixth ol a revolution ot the rei-tical shaft and iinlnediately on .slidingY past one contact arm immediately Springs outward into contact with the succeeiling contact arm. As the spring' contact mores over this: new contact arm its -liree end follows the contour of the arm and pushed inward. Reaching the edge of this Contact arin the free end of the spring' contact quickly outward, hrcalinc contact with ther contact arin previously lguiding it inward and makina' contact with the succeeding arm. This operation is continucd throughout each revolution of the vcrtical shaft 75l..

A brush 98 is 'adapted to bear against the upper end of the nietallic sleeve 03, being secured to the insulated housing 77 by nieanS ol? a terininal 99, as indicated best in Fig. 2. The cup portion 00 ot the housing 77 inay be filled with oil to a level indicated at 100. This oil will effectively stop any sparking that niay occur as the spring' contact 95 breal-s contact with one of the contact arms 07.

Mounted on the lower end et the vertical shaft 74I is a collar 102 which suports six equally spaced :screws 101 which are threaded radially inward toward the center ot the shalt 711. The distance between the axis olf the .shaft 7-l and a head 105 oil? each screw 101 can he varied by turningthe screw l0-l. These :icrews are locked in place when coinpletely adjusted by i-ncans ol lock nuts 100 which Screw onto the screws 101 and bear aeainr-.d' the outer periphery et the sleeve 102.

rlfhe heznls 105 ot the rcrews 1041 are adapted to consecutively engage a curved plate 107. The curved plate 107 haii a ioot 10S carrying` a groove 109. Extending through the groore 100 and threaded into the arin 50 are two screws 110 for the purpose oil:l clamping` the curved plate 107 and the arin By loosening;- the screws 110 the curved plate 107 inay be inoyed in a direction parallel to the grooves 100, shown in Fig'. 7, for a purpose to be described later. A spring; 119J is secured to the arm 50 and also to a point on the traine l! and is for the purpose olE holding the screw heads 105 of the screws 10d against the curved plate 107.

TWhen the inotor 10 is energized the rotation olf the disc 25 is transferred to the vcrtical shalt 7+l-v through the reduction gears previously described. As the shaft 741; rotates it carries with it the sleeve 102 and the screwe 104; held therein. Ae the screws 11.01; rotate about the axis et the f-Jha'lt 7l they consecutively contact the curved plate 107, causing the arin 56 to Slowly oacillate about the pivot 58. Referring to Fia'. 7, the inaxinnun counter-clockwise oat-,illating `movement ot the arni 50 caused by one oli the screws4 104. ia shown in full lines and occ/urel when one ol the Screw headsv touches the ii-urvcd plate ata point that is on the line ot' rente ot the sha'lit 71 and the center of curvatiue ou thecurred plate 107. As the Shaft 4110 is; rotated in the direction of the arrow the arin 50 rotator; slightly in a clockwise direction, until a point is reached where two screw heads 1041 are sinniltaneouely contz'ictingg' the curved plate 107. As the shaft 741 rotates Still further the next screw head determines the inoyeinent ot the arno 5G. It this screw head at a disclockwise swing,

Leiaceo lines 117 of Fig. 8, at the time that the screw head touches the line of centers between th axis of the shaft 7 4 and the center of curvature of the curved plate 107. rlhis oscillating oi the arm 56 around the point 58 causes the brake 54 to change its position relative to the frame of the machine and thus allows the friction plate 43 vof the governor to slowly oscillate in step with the oscillations of the ar 5G. As the friction plate 43 thus moves side to side the speed of the motor 16 is consequently increased or diminished as the case may be in step with the oscillations of the arm 5G.

It should be clear that even if all the screw heads 105 were to be t ie same distance from the axis of rotation of the shaft 74 the arm 56 would still oscillate and the speed of the motor would still vary in step with these oscillations. Vhen one of the screws 104 is screwed further into the sleeve 102 the average speed `of the motor during the time this screw is in engagement with the curved plate 107 is slower than the average speed during the engagement of the other screws. Thus the length of time that a circuit is closed between the terminal 99; and any one of the binding posts 87 can be regulated by varying the distance between the screw head 105 in use with that particular contact and the axis of rotation of the shaft 74. Or, if the whole series of times of contact is to be lengthened or shortened simultaneously the screws 110 are loosened and the curved plate 107 moved respectively toward or away from thc axis of rotation of the shaft 74. Y

The timing between the distributor and the speed control mechanism can be varied by slightly rotating the sleeve 102 with respect to the shaft 74, but we prefer to so time the two that the circuit in the distribuer broken at the instant of maximum clockwise rotation of the arm 5G; in other words, at Jthe time the two screw heads 105 are in contact with the arm 56 simultaneously.

The intermittent switch 15 is valuable not only in the capacity shown. but may be used in numerous other installations such as sign lighting or in other circuits requiring intermittent control.

The application of this intermittent switch vto a series of wells already on production does not require the building of a single compressor plant to supply all of the wells. Instead, the compressors of each well, already in use, may be connected together. Our ini vention is not limited to the use of a unitary compressor plant. It is advantageous, however, touse such a unitary compressor plant, locating all of the main valves, the reliefY valve, and the pop valve in the compressor plant itself. The intermittent switch 1t should also be located inside the plant, jthus bringing the whole operating mechanism within the control of aI single operator. IVe have found it advantageous to use a recording. pressure gauge 230 connecting to the leader 131, thus recording at all times the pressures supplied to the differentwells. It is also advantageous to insert a pilot light in each of the wires leading from the bindin posts S7 to the solenoids 136. These pilot lights will be lighted during the time that current is passing to the solenoid winding, and consequently during the time that the main valve to that well is open, indicating to the operator that the well is being charged.

We claim as our invention: i

l. In a switch, the combination of: a distributor carrying contacts; contacting means for successively contacting said contacts, said means breaking contact with one of said contacts and instantaneously making contact with the next of said contacts; and means for simultaneously varying the time of contact between said contacting means and each of said contacts.

2. In a switch, the combination of: a distributor carrying contacts; contacting means for successively contacting said contacts, said means breaking contact with one of said contacts and instantaneously` making contact with the next of said contacts; and means for individually varying the time of contact between said. contacting means and each of said contacts.

3. In a switch, the combination of: a distributor carrying contacts; contacting means for successively y contacting said A contacts, said means breaking contact with. one of said contacts and instantaneously making contact with the neXt of said contacts; and means for individually and simultaneously varying the time of contact between said con tacting means and cach of said contacts.

4. In a switch, the combination of: a distributor carrying contact arms; a rot-ating means for successively completing a circuit between said Contact arms and said rotating means, said rotating means breaking one of said circuits and instantaneously making the succeeding of said circuits; and means for individually varying the time each of said circuits is completed.

5. In combination: a distributor having stationary and movable contacts; a drive` i' means for said distributor; a. governor regulating the speed of said drive-means; an arm adapted to control said governor; and engaging means carried by said distributor for engaging said arm, thereby regulating the speed of said drive-means, said engaging means being adjustable to vary thetime said stationary and said movable contacts are in engagement. Y

6. In combination: a distributor rhaving a series of contact arms; a rotor carryinga rotor-contact adapted to engage said contact arms; a shaft through said rotor; a spider carried by said shaft and having arms; a. metor adapted to drive said distributor; and

iso

an arm bearing against said spider arms, the position of said arm cont-rolling the speed of said motor, said arms of said spider being so adjustable as to vary the time of contact between said rotor-contact and cach ot' said stationary contacts.

7. In a. timer, the combination of a distributor head comprising a body, contacts positioned in said body, a drive shaft rotatably mounted in said body, a` rotor carried by said shaft, a. brush carried by said rotor and arranged to successively contact said contacts, means `for making an electrical connection to said rotor brush; means Yfor' driving said distributor head shaft comprising a motor means, and power transmitting means operatively connecting said motor with said distributor head shartt; means tor controlling the speed ot said driving means for each successive contact comprising a governor driven by said driving means and carrying a brake disc, an adjustable brake mechanism arranged to engage said brake disc, and means carried by said distributor head shaft for operating said :nljustable brake mechanism, said last named means including a separate independently adjustable means for adjusting the distributor speed tor each respective contact.

8. In a timer, the combination of a distributor head comprising an oil-tight body, cont-actors positioned in said body and arranged to be submerged in oil, a drive shaitt rotatably mounted in said body, a stuiiing f box carried by said body through which raid shaft passes so as to maintain said body oil tight, a rotor carried by said shaft, a brush carried by said rotor and arranged to contact said contactors, means for inaliing an electrical connection to said rotor biush; driving means for said dis-itributor connirising a motor means, and power tranrunitting means (meratively connecting said motor with said distributor shaft; means i'or controlling the speed of said driving means for each successive contacter comprising a centrifugal governor, driven by said driving means and carrying a bralfe disc, an adjus's'table brake mechanism arranged to engage said brake disc, and means carried by said distributor head sha'tt tor succ@ sivcly operating said brake mechanism, said last named means including a separate independently adjustable means for adjusting the distributor speed for each resiiective cmitactor.

9. In combination, a distributor having movable contact means and relatively stationary contact means cooperating ther with, driving means for moving said movable contact means t-hrough a cycle of operations including engagement of the Contact means and disengagement thereof, and

means driven by said driving means for variably controlling the speed of said driving means during different portions of the cycle.

l0. In combination, a distributor having movable contact means and relatively stationary contact means cooperating therewith, driving means for moving said movable contact means through a cycle of operations including engagement ot the contact means and disengagement thereof, means driven by said drivin means tor causing said driving means to operate at one predetermined speed during one portion of the cycle and at another predetermined speed during other portions ot said cycle, and means iter adjustably varying said predetermined speeds.

ll. In combination, a distributor having movable contact means and a plurality of stationary contact means cooperating therewith, drivin means :tor moving said movable contact means through a cycle ot' operations including successive contact with said stationary contact means` and means driven by said driving means tor causing said driving means to operate at dili'erent predetermined speeds during di'ti'erent portions of said cycle.

l2. In combination, a distributor having movable contact means and a plurality of stationary contact means cooperating therewith, driif'ing means tor moving said movable contact means through a cycle of operations including successive contact with said stationary contact means, and means driven by said driving` means in s vnchronism with said movable contact means tor varying the speed of said driving means during dilt'erent portions ot said cycle.

13. In combination, a distributor having movable contact means and a plurality ot stationary contact means cooperating therewith, driving means 'tor moving said movable contact means through a cycle ot operations including succcssive contact with said stationary Contact means, and means driven by said driving means for causing said driving means to operate at ditlerent selected speeds during contact with each of said stationary contact means.

14s. In combination, a distributor having' movable contact means and relatively stationary contact means cooperating therewith. driving means for moving said movable contact means through a cycle of operations including engagement of the contact means and disengagement thereof` a governor for limiting the speed of said `driving means, and means driven by said driving means for vari ably adjusting said governor during dill'erent portions of said cycle to thereby cause said driving means to operate at dilterent selected speeds during different portions of said cycle.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands at Torrance, California, this th day of June,1927.

VILLIAM A. GAMMAGK. DONALD G. KNOX. 

